Tennessee Softball 2023

[knoxvol52]

Not just the best team this year - the best team in the history of college softball.

 

[W.TN.Orange Blood]

 

[Pennheel]

I don't follow college softball that regularly,but are dynasties like this a normal occurrence? I know it is in women's basketball,and it was predicted that Oklahoma would do this,but I didn't know the frequency of it.

 

[lvocd]

I don't follow college softball that regularly,but are dynasties like this a normal occurrence? I know it is in women's basketball,and it was predicted that Oklahoma would do this,but I didn't know the frequency of it.

Yes, it's normal. Oklahoma is the new UCLA.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

Yet, Ashley played a complete game the very next day against Oklahoma State. As it happens, we played Oklahoma last year and lost 8-9 and it took them 10 innings to beat us, with Ashley pitching, and Oklahoma went on to win the Championship.

You’ve said you have just watched our softball team sometimes, so I don’t know if you watched our team win the SEC, Regional, and Super Regional Tournaments, but if you did, you would have seen the confidence and momentum we had. If you watched more than that, you would have seen Pickens not throwing as well as she had at the beginning of the season, throwing balls, pitches in the dirt, and over her catcher’s head. Still expecting big things from her next year, but not in that particular game.

Teams are pumped when their star player is playing, and that was Ashley. For the Coach to play pitchers who were our subs, some who rarely played all year, against the top team in the World Series, made it look like we were not playing to win, and that would certainly effect our team’s emotions, including how they hit.

Rationalize, play devil’s advocate, ignore and move on, whatever, but what Karen did, embarrassed her team, and was a bad look for Tennessee.

The second best team in the country, FSU, scored one run on OK in 14 innings. OK scored 8 on them. Bottom line, Ashley wasn't going to throw a shutout against them, and even if she did, we weren't going to score against them with our two man offense. Weekley has been a softball coach for many years. She probably saw all this coming and said, what the hell, I've got only one slim chance, I'll try to catch that lightning in that bottle. She should have given the ball to Ashley, though. On that we can agree.

 

[turbovol]

The second best team in the country, FSU, scored one run on OK in 14 innings. OK scored 8 on them. Bottom line, Ashley wasn't going to throw a shutout against them, and even if she did, we weren't going to score against them with our two man offense. Weekley has been a softball coach for many years. She probably saw all this coming and said, what the hell, I've got only one slim chance, I'll try to catch that lightning in that bottle. She should have given the ball to Ashley, though. On that we can agree.

Your penultimate sentence is the only one that's relevant. Weekly blinked--horribly, inexplicably.

 

[37620VOL]

Your penultimate sentence is the only one that's relevant. Weekly blinked--horribly, inexplicably.

Didn't matter either way though, did it?

 

[anecwnrjcns12]

Rewatching some of our games I think a big problem was that we never had a STRONG DP. I don’t think that having West in the 4 spot was the best idea and it is no knock on her, but spoke to how much G & Lou lost it offensively towards the end. West is a great hitter, but I imagine her being in the 5,6, maybe even 7 spot for some of the bottom of the order power. I think it’s imperative that we get a good offensive transfer this year whether that’s Kern or even Lynch from Washington. I also think we need someone behind Milloy besides Puni because I think having her 3rd and Gibson 4th is a better outcome. Hopefully someone that was on the bench this year makes huge strides or out of the 3 freshman we get some insane production out of them.

 

[Volfaninfl2]

Didn't matter either way though, did it?

I think it does. It has to do with the integrity of the game. There are sayings that are said about playing sports, such as: That’s why you play the game, quitters don’t win, winners don’t quit, you play to win the game.

Upsets happen often in sports, and it’s an upset because one team is considered by most, if not all, to be the far superior team. Everyone is so sure a team is going to win, but then another team beats them, sometimes they’re not even ranked. We all have seen upsets, they happen in every sport.

No Coach should ever approach a game thinking there’s no way we can beat the other team, they’re just too good, but Karen did, and then acted upon it by removing any possible way we could win the upset, by not playing either of our top two pitchers, which effected the team in all aspects of the game. We can guess what might have happened if we had played our best, but now we’ll never know.

If you guess, remember: football, TN beat AL, football, the Giants beat the Patriots, women’s basketball, Iowa beat SC, hockey, USA beat Russia, and also in hockey, the Florida Panthers have won 7 overtime games, so far, in the Stanley Cup playoffs, just to name a few upsets.

 

[OrangePark]

Anyone know if we are going after the Liberty pitcher and/or catcher?

They were on a visit during the Texas supers weekend

 

[OrangePark]

Rewatching some of our games I think a big problem was that we never had a STRONG DP. I don’t think that having West in the 4 spot was the best idea and it is no knock on her, but spoke to how much G & Lou lost it offensively towards the end. West is a great hitter, but I imagine her being in the 5,6, maybe even 7 spot for some of the bottom of the order power. I think it’s imperative that we get a good offensive transfer this year whether that’s Kern or even Lynch from Washington. I also think we need someone behind Milloy besides Puni because I think having her 3rd and Gibson 4th is a better outcome. Hopefully someone that was on the bench this year makes huge strides or out of the 3 freshman we get some insane production out of them.

I think Pannell will fill that void in the top of the lineup we missed all season. If she can hit at the 2 spot that would move everyone down a spot in the order and that already would be an improvement from last year’s lineup.

 

[Knoxvol14]

Not without some big time transfers coming in.

Heck take more of theirs. Lots of really good girls sitting on the bench there

 

[volman128]

Heck take more of theirs. Lots of really good girls sitting on the bench there

yeah Deal and Erickson were insane to go there

 

[volman128]

Rewatching some of our games I think a big problem was that we never had a STRONG DP. I don’t think that having West in the 4 spot was the best idea and it is no knock on her, but spoke to how much G & Lou lost it offensively towards the end. West is a great hitter, but I imagine her being in the 5,6, maybe even 7 spot for some of the bottom of the order power. I think it’s imperative that we get a good offensive transfer this year whether that’s Kern or even Lynch from Washington. I also think we need someone behind Milloy besides Puni because I think having her 3rd and Gibson 4th is a better outcome. Hopefully someone that was on the bench this year makes huge strides or out of the 3 freshman we get some insane production out of them.

Lynch is very meh. Former HSNPOY that never really panned out. She’s a hitter and pitcher but is only decent at both.

 

[glv98]

I think it does. It has to do with the integrity of the game. There are sayings that are said about playing sports, such as: That’s why you play the game, quitters don’t win, winners don’t quit, you play to win the game.

Upsets happen often in sports, and it’s an upset because one team is considered by most, if not all, to be the far superior team. Everyone is so sure a team is going to win, but then another team beats them, sometimes they’re not even ranked. We all have seen upsets, they happen in every sport.

No Coach should ever approach a game thinking there’s no way we can beat the other team, they’re just too good, but Karen did, and then acted upon it by removing any possible way we could win the upset, by not playing either of our top two pitchers, which effected the team in all aspects of the game. We can guess what might have happened if we had played our best, but now we’ll never know.

If you guess, remember: football, TN beat AL, football, the Giants beat the Patriots, women’s basketball, Iowa beat SC, hockey, USA beat Russia, and also in hockey, the Florida Panthers have won 7 overtime games, so far, in the Stanley Cup playoffs, just to name a few upsets.

Amen. And it wasn't so much starting Pickens. It was the enormous white flag KW sprinted out of the dugout madly waving the second KP got in trouble. No reason she couldn't have used PG for a second instead of instantly conceding with those poor batting practice pitchers. That was just a terrible look in a huge game on network TV. I cringed when I saw how many viewers saw that. I sincerely hope making an effort still matters. Monica Abbott seems to think it does. Her tweet, just WOW . . .

I also hope sportsmanship is not dead, but watching those laughable, middle school "celebrations" by OU and hearing them endlessly praised makes me wonder. As one clever tweeter said, OU celebrates the milk they poured on their cheerios this morning, and ESPN was there to remind us how unapologetic they are for their love of milk.

Looking forward to portal activity.

 

[Majors]

yeah Deal and Erickson were insane to go there

Deal was committed to South Carolina weeks before NSD….she goes to OU and bumps another LHP in her class out of innings in SJ Gueron. Good trade off for Deal in getting a national championship verses a solid SEC year.

 

[Harpethriverkid63]

If crowds turn on them and become hostile over their behavior, Patty Gasso will be the first one talking to the press about how out of control the fans have become.

Or maybe how fans have become bigger whiners.

 

[volman128]

Deal was committed to South Carolina weeks before NSD….she goes to OU and bumps another LHP in her class out of innings in SJ Gueron. Good trade off for Deal in getting a national championship verses a solid SEC year.

Yeah but now that she got it will she be like Puni and leave after one year?

 

[Majors]

Yeah but now that she got it will she be like Puni and leave after one year?

Probably not, SJ would be the one on the way out if I had to guess. She committed with Jordy being the #1 don’t see that changing even with them bringing more kids in.

 

[Majors]

If crowds turn on them and become hostile over their behavior, Patty Gasso will be the first one talking to the press about how out of control the fans have become.

If they become hostile she has the right too. Fans upset about cheers, winning, bat slams, team emotions doesn’t give fan a right to be “hostile”. Fans pay to watch, eat food/buy merchandise and cheer…outside of that fans dont really need to be part of the experience.

 

[Majors]

Rewatching some of our games I think a big problem was that we never had a STRONG DP. I don’t think that having West in the 4 spot was the best idea and it is no knock on her, but spoke to how much G & Lou lost it offensively towards the end. West is a great hitter, but I imagine her being in the 5,6, maybe even 7 spot for some of the bottom of the order power. I think it’s imperative that we get a good offensive transfer this year whether that’s Kern or even Lynch from Washington. I also think we need someone behind Milloy besides Puni because I think having her 3rd and Gibson 4th is a better outcome. Hopefully someone that was on the bench this year makes huge strides or out of the 3 freshman we get some insane production out of them.

Agree on West…she’s not a 4 hitter more towards middle/bottom 5-8

 

[Raebo]

Amen. And it wasn't so much starting Pickens. It was the enormous white flag KW sprinted out of the dugout madly waving the second KP got in trouble. No reason she couldn't have used PG for a second instead of instantly conceding with those poor batting practice pitchers. That was just a terrible look in a huge game on network TV. I cringed when I saw how many viewers saw that. I sincerely hope making an effort still matters. Monica Abbott seems to think it does. Her tweet, just WOW . . .
Looking forward to portal activity.

Reminds me of a few years ago when I was in the Air Force. A general was speaking to some of us young officers when someone ask what he thought the key to getting ahead was. He paused and then said, “ Recognition. Even negative recognition is better than no recognition as long as it isn’t to serious. In a couple years they will remember your name but not what it was for so they will assume it was for something good.”
I think this applies to our participation in the WCWS, most will remember our name being associated with the WS but they won’t remember how we laid an egg.

 

[EZE]

I think it does. It has to do with the integrity of the game. There are sayings that are said about playing sports, such as: That’s why you play the game, quitters don’t win, winners don’t quit, you play to win the game.

Upsets happen often in sports, and it’s an upset because one team is considered by most, if not all, to be the far superior team. Everyone is so sure a team is going to win, but then another team beats them, sometimes they’re not even ranked. We all have seen upsets, they happen in every sport.

No Coach should ever approach a game thinking there’s no way we can beat the other team, they’re just too good, but Karen did, and then acted upon it by removing any possible way we could win the upset, by not playing either of our top two pitchers, which effected the team in all aspects of the game. We can guess what might have happened if we had played our best, but now we’ll never know.

If you guess, remember: football, TN beat AL, football, the Giants beat the Patriots, women’s basketball, Iowa beat SC, hockey, USA beat Russia, and also in hockey, the Florida Panthers have won 7 overtime games, so far, in the Stanley Cup playoffs, just to name a few upsets.

I disagree completely with your theory. Nobody blinked or threw in the towel. For some reason, Coach thought that Pickens gave her the best chance to win.

It was a bad choice. But not because of the conspiracy theories you are throwing out there.

 

[Majors]

I disagree completely with your theory. Nobody blinked or threw in the towel. For some reason, Coach thought that Pickens gave her the best chance to win.

It was a bad choice. But not because of the conspiracy theories you are throwing out there.

My personal issue with the situation was not her starting but what she did after the first inning.

 

[orange beard]

I disagree completely with your theory. Nobody blinked or threw in the towel. For some reason, Coach thought that Pickens gave her the best chance to win.

It was a bad choice. But not because of the conspiracy theories you are throwing out there.

As i said then and i will say one more time!! None of us know how Ashleys arm felt. No different situation as Loni at FSU did with Sandercock in the first game . No one was going to beat that team becasue they were the best. For my feeling is that KP should have stayed in and went a little longer if nothing but for her mental well being.